Team Up With Your Local Law Enforcement

being there // Brian Gleason on Tuesday August 29, 2017

A regular police presence at or near your school, church and/or local neighborhood is a valuable crime-prevention strategy. In schools specifically, it can disrupt trouble spots that interfere with students traveling to and from school, prevent strangers from entering schools, identify students who are selling drugs or are under the influence of drugs, and more.

Additionally, the routine patrolling of school and church grounds better positions law enforcement to act quickly when they receive a request for help and builds a level of comfort for both the organization and the authorities. A rapid and fluid response is critical in a situation where many people are in harm’s way.

Ready to build that relationship? Here are some ways you can meet and support your local law enforcement.

Establish a working relationship with your local police.Encourage your local law enforcement to visit your facility. The worst time and place to meet your local authorities is over the hood of their patrol cars when they are responding to an incident. Build relationships early and work together on response plans.

Invite officers to visit and make them comfortable.Let officers know that they are welcome to come in and use your restroom and grab a cup of coffee in between calls. Additionally, having an officer sit in his or her patrol car while writing reports on your grounds is a great crime deterrent and builds goodwill.

Offer your facilities for training opportunities. Law enforcement agencies are often looking for locations to host classroom lectures, active shooter drills and other training sessions. What’s in it for you? Officers will learn the layout of your facility, build a relationship with your organization and offer valuable skills to your people and the public. It’s a win-win for both parties.

Hold a “Coffee with a Cop” or “Pizza with Police” event. This type of casual forum encourages members of your organization to meet the officers who patrol your facility. Officers can provide information on enforcement activities, crime prevention and response plans for the neighborhood and your organization.

Invite officers to participate in school activities. Including officers in your activities (as coaches in after-school programs, mentors for at-risk youth, judges in your pie-eating contest, etc.) helps to develop partnerships with your organization and puts law enforcement in a positive light. Juvenile authorities and police both have specialized training in working with youth and can become involved directly with students outside the police station, courtroom or other correctional setting. They often develop a good relationship with students as a means of preventing a confrontation in the future. As the relationship builds, students see police and juvenile authorities as positive role models – and this broad respect for authority is essential in preventing crime.

This material is for information only and is not intended to provide legal or professional advice. You are encouraged to consult with your own attorney or other expert consultants for a professional opinion specific to your situation. This information is only a general description of the available coverages and is not a contract. In an effort to keep your policy coverage affordable, the actual policy contains certain limitations and exclusion. Please refer to your insurance policy for the pertinent contract language and coverages. Some coverages and discounts are not available in all states. GuideOne welcomes all applications, without regard to religion, race, color, national origin, sex, handicap or familial status.

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Brian Gleason

Brian Gleason is the Senior Risk Manager for Education at GuideOne Insurance, providing resources and consulting services to GuideOne clients in the education niche. Prior to his career at GuideOne, Brian spent twenty years in risk management for a Christian university in California. Brian has his MBA along with years of experience in insurance, enterprise risk management, occupational health and safety and emergency preparedness and response.

A lot can happen in a year, that’s for sure. While 2017 proved that things can change in an instant, there are trends and indicators that can prepare us for the most successful year yet. Here, the GuideOne risk management and loss control team forecasts risk management trends for churches in 2018. Let’s move forward together with these safety trends and tips in mind.

Your organization likely sponsors a variety of exciting activities, including trips. Ensure full participation and minimal risk in all of your activities by having each participant sign a carefully worded assumption of risk and release of liability. If you fail to fully disclose the potential risks of your activity, you expose your organization to potential litigation.

When school is out and summer activities are in, organizations are looking to fill each day with meaningful activities for youth in their programs. These activities can provide enriching experiences and vast learning opportunities for the participants. However, they can also present a new set of risks different from activities during the academic year.

“The best defense is a good offense.” Though this saying is typically used in sports scenarios, it rings especially true when it comes to school safety. The more emphasis you put on securing school grounds, the better off you’ll be at minimizing risk.

Experts suggest that you can enhance your school’s physical safety with the following strategies: